Bed-rail.



J. R. KEMPER. BED RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3 l9l6.

1,230,490., Patented June 19, 1917.

w James fiJfem ver Witnesses Inventor 1 %ezmlm by Attorneys JAMES R. KEMPER, 0F ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA.

BED-RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'June 19, 1917.

Application filed October 31, 1916. Serial No. 128,772.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. KEMPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkins, in the county of Randolph and State of West Virginiafliave invented a new and useful BedRail, of which the following is a specification. v

By way of explanation it may be stated that angle iron bed rails are made in two forms. In one of these forms, the horizontal flange of the angle member is at the upper edge of the vertical flange of the angle member. In another form of bed rail, as shown in the drawings, the horizontal flange of the angle member is at the lower edge of the vertical flange of the angle member, this form of bed rail being denominated an inverted bed rail.

Springs, slats, and mattress supports of other kinds vary greatly in construction, and it is difficult to apply all of these structures successfully to an inverted bed rail, so called. As a consequence, in order to accommodate the various kinds of mattress supports on the market, dealers hitherto have been compelled to carry in stock both the inverted bed rail above mentioned, and the bed rail in which the horizontal flange of the angle member is located at the upper Edge of the vertical flange of the angle mem- In view of the foregoing, the present invention aims to provide a simple but useful means which, being applied to an inverted bed rail, adapts that rail to accommodate a mattress support with which it could not otherwise be used, the inverted bedrail, nevertheless, still remaining operative for all of its original purposes.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

\Vith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in perspective, a portion of an inverted bed rail, to which the device formingthe subject matter of this application has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a fra mental side elevation showing an inverted ed rail to which the device herein disclosed has been attached;

Fig. 3 is a perspective showing the angle member which is attached to the bed rail as h-ereinbefore set forth;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective showing the device forming the subject matter of this application, the view depicting one of the many uses of the structure; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental cross. section of an inverted bed rail to which the structure hereinafter described and claimed has been attached, Fig 5 showing an application of the invention different from that depicted in Figs. 4 and 1.

The numeral 1 denotes an inverted bed rail comprising a vertical flange 2 and a horizontal flange 3 located at the lower edge of the vertical flange 2. One end of the rail 1 terminates in a head 4, the inner end wall of which curves as shown at 5, and merges into the inner face of the vertical flange 2. The head 4 carries the usual projecting tenon 22 which, as those skilled in the art will understand, is received in a mortise or slot formed in the head of the bed frame or in the foot thereof.

. The invention comprises an angle member 6 which preferably is made of metal. The angle member 6 includes a vertical flange 8 and a horizontal flange 7 at the upper edge of the vertical flange. At one end, the horizontal flange 7 is rounded as shown at 10 so as to cooperate with the inner curve, 5 of the head 4. The vertical flange 8, being straight, cannot coact with the curved face 5 of the head 4, and therefore the vertical flange 8 is cut back from the curved end 10 of the horizontal flange 7 as shown at 9, the flange 8 therefore being shorter than the flange 7 The vertical flange 8 of the angle member 6 abuts against the vertical flange 2 of the bed rail 1 and is held thereto in any desired manner. Securing elements 11 may be used for holding the angle member 6 on the vertical flange 2 of the bed rail 1, the vertical flange 8 of the angle member 6 being provided with openings 12 which receive the securing elements. This means for securing the angle member 6 to the bed rail 1 is not insisted upon, however.

If desired, slats 14 may rest on the horizontal flange 3 of the bed rail 1, and, if de sired the lower edge of the vertical flange 8 may be spaced from the horizontal flange of the bed rail 1, as shown at 15, so as to permit the ends of the slats let to pass beneath the lower edge of the flange 8.

When it is desired to use the structure in connection with. a spring bed of known kind, the parts may be arranged as shown in Fig. 5. wherein one base member of the bed frame is shown at it and carries hour-glassshaped helical springs 17. In this application of the invention, the horizontal flange T oi? the angle member (3 lies opposite to the smallest convolution, 18 ot the spring 17. and the use of such springs is :in no wise interfered. with. by the presei'me of the angle member 6.

The spring bed may include an end rail 19 with which is connected a wire fabric 20 of any desired sort. When such a struc ture as that last above mentioned, and shown in Fig. 4 is resorted to, it is undesirable that the fabric 20 lie below the upper edge of the vertical flange J of the bed rail 1. T he end rail l therclkne, is permitted to rest on the horizontal flange T of the angle member 5. The end rail 19 is not long enough so that its end 21 can be supported on the upper edge of the vertical flange nor would such a construction be practical. The utility of the angle member (3 and its flange 7, under the circumstances above pointed out, is obvious.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is disclosed in this application, a simple but useful means whereby an inverted bed rail of the angle type may be made to accommodate mattress supports of widely dillerent kinds, it being unnecessary for a merchant to carry in stock both the inverted bed rail denoted by the numeral 1, and a. slightly different form of bed rail, in which the horizontal flange is located at the upper edge of the vertical flange of the bed rail.

Ha Vin g thus described the invention, what is claimed is A bed rail. including a Vertical flange, a

horizontal flange at the lower edge of the vertical flange. and. a. head connecting the flanges and having a curved inner face; and an angle member comprising a vertical flange secured to the vertical flange of the rail, and a horizontal flange located at the upper edge of the vertical flange of the angle member one end of the horizontal flange of the angle member being shaped to conform to the curved face of the head, and the vertical flange of the angle member being cut back from said end or the horizontal flange of the angle member to clear said curved face of the head.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own. I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. KEMPER. l t itnesses WAYNE JAoKsoN, W. D. GALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner at Patents, Washington, D. C. 

